Away days: West Brom

As the Swans get set to face West Brom in the Premier League on Saturday, we bring you a fan's guide to The Hawthorns to improve your matchday experience.

Saturday, April 7, 2018 – 3pm

Address: The Hawthorns, Halfords Lane, West Bromwich, B71 4LF

Telephone: 0871 271 1100 website: www.wba.co.uk

WHAT’S IT LIKE? Swans fans are on one side of the Smethwick End, which is shared with the home supporters.

The facilities and the views of the pitch are good, although there is not much leg room.

The concourse is quite small, but alcohol is available along with a range of pies, burgers, sausage rolls and pasties.

VISITING THE MIDLANDS Birmingham is the second largest city in the UK, and has a multitude of eating and drinking places to suit every appetite.

There are also plenty of museums, art galleries and theatres, and you can play your visit at: www.visitbirmingham.com/

The National Sea Life Centre (B1 2HL) is worth a visit. Open from 10am to 6pm, it costs £13 if you book online while children under the age of three can enter for free.

Elsewhere, you can watch 5 Star Wrestling at the Genting Arena (B40 1NT) on the Thursday with tickets ranging between £17.85 and £170.40, while it will cost you £50.45 to see former One Direction star Harry Styles on the Saturday.

Cadbury World is open daily from 9am to 4.30pm with tickets costing between £12.50 and £17, while children under the age of four can enter for free.

Meanwhile, it’s Eggs-ellent Easter at Drayton Manor Park (B78 3TW) from March 28 to April 15, while the children can also enjoy Thomas the Tank Engine Land.

There is also plenty of entertainment on offer at StarCity (B7 5SA), which boasts a Vue cinema, ten-pin bowling, mini golf, football centre, gym, casino and climbing centre. You can download discount vouchers for up to 20 per cent off activities and food.

Hotel near the ground include the Premier Inn, The Park Inn and The Hare & Hounds, while there is also plenty of accommodation in Birmingham.

PUBS AND GRUB There are no suitable pubs for away fans near to The Hawthorns. You can enjoy Indian food at The Vine (B70 8DB) – a 15-minute walk away – where there is also street parking available.

Away fans are also welcome at the Park Hotel (B70 6RS), which is just off junction one on the M5 and a 10-minute walk from the stadium, while you can also try nearby Desi Junction (B70 6PB) and the Royal Oak (B71 3RQ).

You can also get food and drink from the Fan Zone across the road from the ground, where there will be live music and sport showing on the big screen.

PARKING Street parking is available and there are also a few matchday car parks at local industrial units, where you can leave your vehicle for around £5.

It will also cost £5 to park with the benefit of CCTV at the Beeches Road Methodist Church (B70 6QE), which is a 10-minute walk from the stadium and makes for a quick getaway onto the M5 after the match.

TRAIN The closest railway stations are The Hawthorns and Smethwick Rolfe Street, which are five-minute and 15-minute walks away respectively.

The Hawthorns is served by a Metro service that runs every 15 minutes, and takes eight minutes to arrive from Birmingham Snow Hill, which is a 10-minute walk from Birmingham New Street station.

Meanwhile, Smethwick Rolfe Street is a six-minute journey from New Street that runs twice an hour.

Trains leave Swansea for the three-hour journey to Birmingham New Street at 7.59am, 8.29am and 9.29am.

Meanwhile, the return journeys depart at 5.42pm, 6.42pm, 7.12pm and 7.42pm, arriving at 8.42pm, 9.43pm, 10.20pm and 10.44pm respectively.